Patriots Security Director: Hernandez 'Swore On His Baby's Life' He Was Telling The Truth
FALL RIVER (CBS) -- Patriots director of security Mark Briggs testified in the Aaron Hernandez murder trial Tuesday and told the court the former Patriot "swore on his baby's life" he wasn't involved in Odin Lloyd's murder.
Briggs took the stand immediately after Patriots owner Robert Kraft testified in a surprise at Fall River Superior Court.
Briggs was the person tasked with asking Hernandez to leave Gillette Stadium back in June 2013, when news trucks and helicopters were following the former football star's every move.
During Briggs' testimony, Hernandez's defense lawyers uncovered that Hernandez had been asked to leave because his presence was "bad for business."
Attorney Michael Fee asked Briggs, "You asked him to leave the stadium there because his presence was bad for business, is that correct?"
"Yes," Briggs replied.
Fee followed up by asking, "It was really the business element that prompted you to ask him to leave, wasn't it?"
"Yes," Briggs replied again.
Briggs reported that Hernandez complied with the request to leave as soon as he finished a phone call and that he cooperated fully.
Briggs, whose resume includes security work for Wembley Stadium and the Sydney Olympic Games prior to his job with the Patriots, also said that like all NFL players, Hernandez was made aware of the league's personal conduct policy.
"As part of the current conduct policies, there's a reporting policy," Briggs said. "If an individual who's part of the NFL -- player, coach, staff member -- who is involved in a potential criminal situation, then they are to report that incident to the club and to the league at the earliest opportunity."
Briggs said he personally asked Hernandez about the death of Odin Lloyd in a 1-on-1 conversation.
"I asked him if he was involved in the incident," Briggs said, noting that Hernandez claimed to not be involved.
"He said he was telling the truth," Briggs recalled. "He swore on his baby's life that he was telling the truth."
